Category Archives: New Zealand Politics

Posts that deal with issues current in New Zealand politics

Key’s approach won’t work “over time”

Posted on 28th Oct, 2012 by Puddleglum

It is often said that those who “Live by the sword, die by the sword“. It might also be said that those politicians who, less excitingly, live by portraying themselves as ‘pragmatic’ and ‘non-ideological’ will, in the fullness of time, … Continue reading →

Posted in National Identity, New Zealand Politics, Political Psychology | Tagged , , , , | 14 Comments

The school of hard knocks and ‘the curious incident of the dog …’ – Part II

Posted on 28th Sep, 2012 by Puddleglum

What was it all for? One answer has been given by the Minister of Education, Hekia Parata: The education sector, just like everything else in greater Christchurch, has experienced huge disruption due to the earthquakes. Buildings have been damaged and … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy, Earthquakes, Education, Human Wellbeing, New Zealand Politics | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments

The school of hard knocks and ‘the curious incident of the dog…’ – Part I

Posted on 24th Sep, 2012 by Puddleglum

Often the best way to learn something is the hard way. You tend not to forget when you get bruised in the process. If that’s the case, then many Cantabrians are gaining memorable lessons about what it is like to … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy, Earthquakes, Education, Freedom, Human Wellbeing, New Zealand Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

ECan, the government and the ‘Picture of Dorian Gray’

Posted on 11th Sep, 2012 by Puddleglum

It is hard to understand why it appears to have received so little attention or commentary nationwide (with some honourable exceptions). The extension of the rule of the ECAN Commissioners announced by David Carter (Local Government Minister) and Amy Adams … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy, Earthquakes, Economics, Fascism, New Zealand Politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Coming up for air in the New Jerusalem

Posted on 26th Aug, 2012 by Puddleglum

The grand plan for New Zealand’s own ‘New Jerusalem’ has been revealed. The excited assurances that, indeed, the Promised Land has been glimpsed have been echoing around the media ( e.g., here, here, here, here, here and here) – fired in perfect sequence, like a 21 gun salute. … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy, Earthquakes, Economics, Freedom, New Zealand Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

A rainy Christmas Day in Christchurch

Posted on 5th Aug, 2012 by Puddleglum

Monday night last week was like Christmas Eve in Christchurch. As the evening darkened, the presents – carefully wrapped and prettily presented by the best PR Christmas wrappers CERA could buy – were lain beneath the brightly lit Christmas Tree … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy, Earthquakes, Economics, Fascism, Freedom, New Zealand Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 25 Comments

Underneath the ‘underclass’

Posted on 29th Jul, 2012 by Puddleglum

Joe Bageant died on the 26th of March last year. Apparently, he was sometimes referred to as an American ‘leftneck’ – which is not a bad label for him. Bageant’s book (and, more generally, his literary life) has been devoted to laying … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy, Economics, Education, Free Market, Human Wellbeing, New Zealand Politics, Welfare | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

A bit rich

Posted on 27th Jul, 2012 by Puddleglum

The National Business Review has released its 2012 ‘Rich List’ of the wealthiest New Zealanders. Well, the wealthiest people who occasionally drop in to New Zealand … or, maybe, own some land in New Zealand … or, maybe, have an … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Human Nature, New Zealand Politics, Philosophy, Political Psychology, politics of envy | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Water, Waitangi, ownership and power

Posted on 17th Jul, 2012 by Puddleglum

There’s a reason why we talk about property rights. Owning property without having any rights to it makes as much sense as having rights to something without owning it in some way. ‘Water rights’ and ‘water ownership’ are, in all … Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy, Economics, Free Market, Freedom, Maori, National Identity, New Zealand Politics | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Water, Waitangi, ownership and power

Getting ‘stuck in’ to employment

Posted on 11th Jul, 2012 by Puddleglum

Recently, Rodney Hide related his experiences as a manual labourer, doing casual jobs for a builder, digger driver and retaining wall builder. Hide drew a lesson from his experience about the motivation of the unemployed. Basically, it amounted to the conclusion … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Freedom, Human Nature, Human Wellbeing, Labour, New Zealand Politics | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments